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78 killed in Central African Republic truck accident

Some 78 people were killed and dozens more were injured when an overloaded truck crashed along an isolated road in Central African Republic, a doctor at the hospital said on Wednesday.

“At the moment, we have counted 78 dead and 72 wounded. Some wounded were taken directly to their homes from the accident scene and died there some time after, but most died here,” said Chamberlain Bama, chief doctor at the university hospital in the town of Bambari.

The accident occurred on Tuesday.

“It was a 10-wheel truck that was transporting tonnes of goods and people setting off for the weekly market in Maloum. It tipped over with all its cargo,” Bambari Mayor Abel Matchipata told AFP.

The accident may have been linked to “technical failures and to (the lorry) being overloaded”, the officer said, adding that an investigation had been opened to determine the cause of the accident.